Le faire causatif

The conjugated verb faire + an infinitive indicates someone is making someone do something. L’institutrice faire travailler les élèves. –The teacher makes the children work. Elle les fait lire et écrire. –She makes them read and write.

Faire + infinitive can also mean someone has something done by someone. Par is used to indicate the person doing the action. Il a fait réparer sa voiture par le méchanicien. –He had his car repaired by the mechanic. Elles vont faire construire une maison par un nouvel architecte. –They are going to have a house built by a new architect.

Faire + infinitive can also show something is (or is not) causing something to happen. La guerre fait souffrir tant de gens. –War makes so many people suffer. Le soleil fait fondre la glace. –The sun is melting the ice. Le film n’a pas fait rire ces enfants. –The film didn’t make these children laugh.

NOTE: There is never agreement with a preceding direct object in the passé composé with causative faire. Ce film? Il ne les a pas fait rire. –This film? It didn’t make them laugh. As-tu vu Amélie? Qui l’a fait pleurer? –Did you see Amelie? Who made her cry?

NOTE: Laisser + infinitive means to let someone do something, to let something happen. There is only agreement with a preceding direct object if that object is doing the action of the infinitive. Elle a laissé sortir ses chiens. –She let her dogs go out. Elle les a laissés sortir. –She let them (her dogs) go out. Elle les a laissé examiner par le vétérinaire. –She let the vet examine them.